Digital Connections Initiative
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 2 of 6TheDepartment of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE), the Massachusetts Department of Information Technology (MassIT), and the nonprofitEducationSuperHighway, are pleased to announce round two of theDigital Connections Initiative. This partnershipprovides tools, assistance, and funding to bridge the digital divide that exists in some schools across the Commonwealth and strengthen twenty-first century teaching and learning. The initiative consists of:
School Technology Readiness Survey
· Online tool for collecting information about the current state of technology in a school.
· All districts seeking state assistance for technology upgrades, including districts that may be seeking a waiver of the requirement to administer computer-based tests in grades 4 and 8 in 2017, must complete the survey for every school in the district.
· Completion of the survey does not automatically result in a waiver.
EducationSuperHighway Broadband Upgrade Program
· Supports districts with their broadband upgrades.
· Provides a team of expert consultants to work with each interested district to conduct outreach to a broad network of competitive providers; support your RFP process; build a business case for your town approval; provide tips for negotiating with providers; and act as project managers during the implementation process.
· All services are free of charge. To schedule a half hour kick-off call, make an appointment here.
Digital Connections Partnership Schools (DCPS) Grant
· $2 million in state bond funds are available to cover non-discount project costs under the federal E-rate program (state match).
· State covers non-discounted project costs until the funds run out.
· All local matching funds must be provided to MassIT before the project starts.
· All project costs that utilize state bond funds must be completed by June 30, 2017.
· The local match may come from public or private sources.
Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Loan Program
· $10 million in interest-free loans to cover discounted costs for the local match (up to $2.5 million per district)
· Districts that do not qualify for a state match are still eligible for loans
· Districts could apply for a loan only, provided that they complete the School Technology Readiness Survey and submit a DCPS application.
NOTE: The DCPS application is not an application for loans, nor are the loans administered by ESE or MassIT. Rather, MSBA will use the information provided by districts through the DCPS application to inform their process.
E-Rate Discounts
E-rate is a federal program that provides technology discounts for schools and libraries. E-rate is administered by the Universal Services Administrative Company (USAC) under the oversight of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). All public schools are eligible to receive discounts on eligible Category 1 services (Internet/broadband and for a limited time, voice) and Category 2 services (internal connections, managed internal broadband services, and basic maintenance of internal connections), but only if the services are purchased from eligible contracts and the application is approved by USAC. Discounts on Category 2 Wi-Fi range from 20 to 85 percent based upon poverty level and whether the district is rural or urban. Rural districts and districts with higher poverty receive greater discounts. Almost all Massachusetts public schools receive at least a 40 percent discount.
NOTE: Funding under the current program is only available for a limited time and all districts are strongly encouraged to file an E-rate application for reimbursements no later than FY19.
Have you checked out the ODL blog?
Last spring ODL launched its very own blog to serve as a forum for contributors from ESE and across Massachusetts to share their digital learning stories and experiences. Recent topics include "SketchUp Pro: Using Technology to Build Creative Classrooms" and "Save the date! #GoOpen Regional Summit @ Amazon in September.” If you’re interested in contributing a post, contact Jennifer Gwatkin.
Upcoming events
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 2 of 6#GoOpen Summit
September 23
Amazon, Cambridge, MA
ESEis part of the inaugural cohort of #GoOpen states that are committed to helping school districts and educators access high-quality, openly-licensed educational resources.
On Friday, September 23, North Reading Public Schools will host a#GoOpen Regional Summitat the Amazon Offices (101 Main Street, Cambridge). Attendance at the one-day summit is free.
The event will provide an opportunity for classroom teachers, school librarians, instructional coaches, and district and state leaders to explore opportunities to expand the use of high quality, openly licensed educational resources in classrooms.
Speakers will include Kristina Peters, K-12 Open Education Fellow, who coordinates the #GoOpen work for the US Department of Education; Andrew Marcinek, former K-12 Open Education Advisor; and Kenneth Klau, Director of Digital Learning, ESE. Additional perspectives on OER will be provided byNicole Allen, Director of Open Education atSPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition).
For more information, also check out North Reading’s Dan Downs’ recent post on the ODL blog.
hackNEHS
October 8, 2016Microsoft Sales and Technology CenterBurlington, MAHack New England High Schools, or hackNEHS (pronounced “hack-ness”), is a new hackathon run by high-schoolers for high-schoolers. Hackathons are events in which participants fully build a software project from scratch. They have become popular in tech giants, startups, and schools alike because they enable hackers to bring their ideas to life while having fun. At hackNEHS, there will be many (200+!) bright high school hackers working in teams to build something awesome, with experienced mentors providing guidance along the way. There will also be hands-on workshops for novices to learn to use the hottest technologies of today, including iOS programming and web development. This fall’s HackNEHS will be held at Microsoft Sales and Technology Center in Burlington, MA on Saturday, October 8, 2016, from 7:30 am – 8:00 pm. Any highschooler in the New England area is welcome, and no prior experience is required. For more information, and to register, visit the hackNEHS website.
2016 MassCUE/M.A.S.S. Fall Technology Conference
October 19-20
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Computer Using Educators (MassCUE) and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.), this two-day event will provide educators from across the Commonwealth and neighboring states with exciting ways to enhance teaching and learning with technology. This year’s focus is “Global Connections, Digital Learning” and will feature a presentation by EducationSuperHighway on its support for Massachusetts districts seeking to upgrade their broadband. For all Fall Conference 2016 information and registration, visit the event page.
FutureReady Summit: Boston
November 14-15
Education Development Corporation, Waltham, MA
Future Ready is pleased to partner with the US Department of Education (ED) to offer face-to-face regional summits focused on district-level planning as a bedrock component of its work.
Regional summits are free of charge and open to all district teams that have not yet participated in a Future Ready Summit.
The regional summits allow district teams to jump start their planning efforts and vision for student learning under direct guidance from Future Ready facilitators. Participants will have access to national experts, regional colleagues, implementation exemplars, and strategies for a successful digital conversion.
This year’s Boston summit will feature Eric Sheninger, Senior Fellow, International Center for Leadership in Education, as the keynote speaker. Eric Sheninger is a nationally recognized speaker, best-selling author, school administrator, and most importantly an evangelist for all students.
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 2 of 6New free online course from EverFi
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 2 of 6EverFi is pleased to introduce FutureSmartTM, a new digital course that educates middle school students (grades 6-8) on the practicalities of daily financial decisions and the payoffs of long-term planning. This no cost resource, supported by the MassMutual Foundation, guides students through a compelling narrative in which they serve as the mayor of a town, helping local citizens with real-life decisions. From weighing opportunity costs, to delaying instant gratification for long-term gain, students face important questions on their way to becoming FutureSmart. Topics covered include Financial Values & Goal-Setting, Budgeting and Opportunity Costs, Saving and Investing
Payment Types, Banking, Risk vs. Return, and Planning for the Future.
Bridging the “homework gap” through access to technology
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 2 of 6According to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, technology for students and teachers can impact the quality of education as well as students' ability to engage with digital resources outside the classroom.
For those districts or schools where access to the internet or to other technology outside of school hours is a necessary or presumed aspect of what is expected from students, it is critical that students have access to necessary technology outside of school and that districts support students who do not have internet access at home, such as through providing wireless access via a Wi-Fi hotspot at school that is available outside of school hours.
While about 80 percent of Massachusetts households have access to high quality broadband connectivity, in many low income districts that figure is as low as 50 percent. To assist districts in bridging the homework gap, ODL has expanded its list of resources about companies and organizations that offer low or no cost services in areas such as residential high-speed internet, Wi-Fi, mobile Wi-Fi plans, portable Wi-Fi hot spots; cellular service; related equipment and devices; and parent education. ODL obtained this information through an open procurement. Districts can use this information to help parents/guardians obtain affordable access to technology for learning. Districts should contact providers directly for details.
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 2 of 6New Digital Literacy and Computer Science Standards
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 2 of 6At its meeting on June 28, 2016, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to adopt the 2016 Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) Standards. This request follows revisions that ESE made to the standards based on public comment gathered from February through April 2016. Use of these standards is voluntary for school districts.
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 2 of 6BYOD/1:1 guidance published!
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 2 of 6ESE has developed a guidance document, published this month, that provides a host of questions, examples, and resources designed to foster discussion among administrative teams who are contemplating a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy in their district. There are numerous considerations for vision setting, planning, and implementation of a (BYOD) policy laid out in the document. While it is not a step-by-step guide to implement a BYOD policy, it provides school authorities a series of questions to ask answer prior to making a decision. Also included in the document is a comprehensive FAQ section with some of the more pressing issues we hear in regards to BYOD implementation. We welcome your feedback as we intend to have it be a living document which will continue to evolve.
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 2 of 6SketchUp Pro Implementation Guide
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 2 of 6Did you know that the ODL offers free SketchUp Pro licenses to Massachusetts school districts? SketchUp Pro (formerly Google Sketchup) is a 3D modeling computer program for a wide range of drawing applications such as architectural, interior design, civil and mechanical engineering, film, and video game design. For more information, and to obtain a license, please visit the ODL SketchUp page.
In addition, ODL is pleased to introduce the SketchUp Pro Implementation Guide, added to the ODL site this summer and recently featured on the ODL blog. Produced by the ODL in collaboration with the Northeast Comprehensive Center, this document supports the use of SketchUp Pro throughout the state, features examples from Massachusetts schools and educators, and is designed to provide educators with necessary resources to increase student success.
Already have a license and wondering about the version year? As a grantee under the SketchUp Pro K-12 Statewide License Grant Program, you should continue to use version 2015 until your current codes expire (your license is valid through June 30, 2017).
Every time a teacher/administrator tries to update a license, the contact whose email is associated with the license may receive auto-generated emails saying “your 2016 codes are available.” Please ignore these, and message your schools to continue to use the 2015 codes you have. Please encourage your schools to disable the auto-check for updates in SketchUp, so the message to update stops showing. They can do so by following the instructions in this Help Center Article. Please contact Jennifer Gwatkin with any additional questions.
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 2 of 6New Foundations for Inclusive Practice online courses
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 6 of 6Looking for free and engaging online learning about inclusive practice?ESE has sponsored the creation of two Foundations for Inclusive Practice online courses to help educators meet the needs of all learners in inclusive settings. These courses are self-paced and free to Massachusetts educators. The courses are also one way for Massachusetts educators to earn the 15 professional development points in "effective schooling for students with disabilities and instruction of students with diverse learning styles" that are required torenew a professional license. The courses employ a range of online learning tools including Captivate videos, Padlet message boards, audio clips of Massachusetts educators, and interactive learning exercises.
The courses areFoundations for Inclusive Practice: AdministratorandFoundations for Inclusive Practice: Educatorand present a rigorous and engaging sequence of professional development about meeting the needs of all students. Educators can register at theGuidebook for Inclusive Practicewebsite. Districts who are interested in forming communities of practice as a supplement to these courses can fill out thisshort form. You may also be interested in this short video preview of the content in the course.
Office of Digital Learning Newsletter / Page 6 of 6Office of Digital Learning listserv